Expectations of a relatively hotly contested game evaporated quickly in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 first round game between the fourthseeded Cranford High School girls soccer team and the 13th-seeded Rahway Indians at Memorial Field in Cranford on November 4. The 9-6-2 Cougars skid in three goals within the first 20 minutes then added four more before halftime en route to a 7-0 trouncing over the 8-12 Indians.
On September 26, the two teams faced each other in Rahway and the Cougars managed to score only once in the first half but did step it up in the second half to secure a 5-0 victory.
“We played Rahway once this season prior to this game and it was only 1-0 in the first half. I was pleased that we were able to go up early and kudos to Rahway for playing tough,” Cougar Head Coach KerryYourkanis said.
Seniors Selena Rivera and Kate Zambito, along with freshman Isabella Reibarkh scored the first three goals of the game. Rivera would finish with two goals and an assist. Reibarkh added a pair of assists to her attack. Junior midfielder Sarah Suh netted a goal and an assist. Senior forwards Keira Freely and Francesca Germano each scored once. Splitting time in goal, junior Vanessa Kelly and sophomore Natalia Reguera each recorded one save.
“We were successful in utilizing our wingers and getting more options in the final third,” Coach Yourkanis explained.
Even with a 3-0 lead, the Cougars kept shelling the Rahway defenders and goalkeeper Jade Wong. Freely rolled one just to the left of the goal then with 17:24 on the clock, Rivera penetrated the box and at close range, drilled a shot that Wong managed to get a hand on but the ball lodged into the upper right netting for a 4-0 lead.
Within a minute, Suh won a oneon- one with a defender and looped one in from 20-yards out for a 5-0 lead. The big lead allowed Coach Yourkanis more leeway to rotate more of her reserves on and off the field to give the starters some rest.
The next Cougar goal was set up by junior midfielder Lexi Nofi, who sprinted down the right sideline and crossed into the box where Freely got her foot on the ball to up the lead to 60 with 7:55 left in the half. The shelling continued and this time sophomore Ariana Shaw lofted a left-side corner kick into Germano, whose header sailed over the crossbar.
Less than 30 seconds later, Germano got a few steps on a defender and tried to make good on a bad angle shot from the right but it had no chance of finding the gold. As time was ticking down, Shaw got off two right-side corners and the second one successfully got Germano, who ripped a pointblank shot into the net with 29 second remaining in the half for the 7-0 lead.
With such a dominating lead, Coach Yourkanis rewarded her reserves with significantly more playing time for the hard work they have contributed during the practices throughout the season.
“It was great to secure a home game in the first round of the state tournament. Of course, it is fantastic when all players on the team get an opportunity to step on the field and impact the game. In addition, to have six different goal scorers out of our seven goals was truly remarkable,” Coach Yourkanis expressed.
On November 7, the Cougars would host the fifth-seeded Colonia Patriots, who shut out 12th-seeded Payne Tech, 8-0, in their first round game.
Rahway 0 0 0 Cranford 7 0 7
